Independent-learning super-curriculum projects: reading, research and ideas shared by Perse students

How did Saladin gain victory against the Crusaders at the Battle of Hattin?

The Battle of Hattin was fought on 4th July 1187; it was the key battle that led to the Christian loss of Jerusalem and prompted the Third Crusade. The battle took place on and around the Horns of Hattin, a geographical formation on a volcano, near Tiberias, in present day Israel.

Putting the Battle of Hattin into context, it would be helpful to first explain what the Crusades were. The Holy City of Jerusalem, where Jesus Christ was crucified and buried (and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre built over these sites to preserve and venerate them), was also a major site of pilgrimage for the Muslim and Jewish faiths.